U.S. officials told NBC News on Friday that the soldier suspected of shooting 16 civilians in Afghanistan is Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales.

Bales, 38, was deployed to Afghanistan in December with the 3rd Stryker Brigade, based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Tacoma, Wash., the officials said.

"It's a tragedy,” Gen. David Rodriguez, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, said at the base, home to about 37,000 Army and 6,000 Air Force personnel. “Everyone knows this doesn't reflect our standards or values, nor does it reflect the soldiers that perform here and overseas. They are shocked, just as we are.”

Bales, a married father of two, has a clean record of conduct, the officials said. He joined the military after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“He felt it was his calling to stand up for the us after 911 and then decided to make his career the military," said his civilian attorney, John Henry Browne, who spoke to Bales on Thursday night.

Soldier accused in Afghan massacre flown out of country
Bales had been deployed to Iraq three times before going to Afghanistan. While in Iraq, officials say, he suffered a traumatic head injury in a crash and also suffered a foot injury in a separate incident. In Afghanistan, Bales reportedly saw a friend lose a leg.

What role those incidents may have played, if any, in the shootings, remains unclear. Browne says the soldier may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Browne also said the soldier never expected a fourth deployment.

“Overnight he was told he was going back and he told his family and told me that he did what he was ordered to do 'cause he was a soldier," Browne said.

Officials are investigating reports that Bales may have been drinking before he left the base in Afghanistan on the night of the k!llings over the weekend. Among the dead were nine children.

Officials: US soldier in Afghanistan shooting spree said ‘I did it’
Bales, a native of Ohio, has been based at Lewis-McChord his entire career. He and his family reportedly lived not too far from the base and have family roots in western Washington. Bales’ wife is said to be an executive at a Seattle-area company.

Brown said the suspect’s family will remain on base for the foreseeable future for their own protection. Bales was reportedly en route to the United States on Friday.

this is bs, afghan witnesses/survivors said it was a group of soldiers already..the U.S needs to stop bullsh*tting to try and save face and throw all the soldiers involved in this bs under the bus..let the afghan people prosecute them in their court and comply with whatever happens ..NO ONE and i repeat NO ONE is going to believe one U.S soldier walked a mile from his base in hostile enemy territory to massacre 16 civilians on his own..that sh*t wouldn't even be possible in a game ..this isn't a hollywood movie and the person responsible isn't rambo..fu*king piece of sh*t d!ckhead government always trying to preach that peace bullsh*t until one of their own is involved the one thing you can say the U.S does well is protect their own whether it's national defense or local law enforcement, they look out for eachother..if you're one of them expect no consequences for w/e bs action you committed..this world is a piece of sh*t and actions like these go to show you whoever has the power makes the rules, no matter wtf happens

03-17-2012, 06:48 PM

away - #3

Freemind41$8,868 |r POWERFUL

Originally Posted by Deniro732

this is bs, afghan witnesses/survivors said it was a group of soldiers already..the U.S needs to stop bullsh*tting to try and save face and throw all the soldiers involved in this bs under the bus..let the afghan people prosecute them in their court and comply with whatever happens ..NO ONE and i repeat NO ONE is going to believe one U.S soldier walked a mile from his base in hostile enemy territory to massacre 16 civilians on his own..that sh*t wouldn't even be possible in a game ..this isn't a hollywood movie and the person responsible isn't rambo..fu*king piece of sh*t d!ckhead government always trying to preach that peace bullsh*t until one of their own is involved the one thing you can say the U.S does well is protect their own whether it's national defense or local law enforcement, they look out for eachother..if you're one of them expect no consequences for w/e bs action you committed..this world is a piece of sh*t and actions like these go to show you whoever has the power makes the rules, no matter wtf happens

but regular american citizens wont believe that because the media didnt say it

its a damn shame

03-17-2012, 08:05 PM

online - #4

Msirae Faythung314$6,458 |r POWERFUL

Does anyone care?

03-17-2012, 08:25 PM

away - #5

salashimself$123 |r 419258

fu** him and he should be stoned to death

03-18-2012, 12:47 AM

online - #6

S W A N57$7,359 |r POWERFUL

Still havent figured out how one soldier walked off a base in a war zone alone. Doesnt happen. All of the bases are heavily guarded. And you telling me that in the land of ak47s not one person returned fire? Story just doesnt add up.

03-18-2012, 10:38 AM

away - #7

usarmyboy83$1,170 |r 5984653

It's a cover up, cuz there is no way one soldier will be allowed off the F.O.B by himself.

03-18-2012, 11:18 AM

away - #8

noverum$1,755 |r 17083278

03-18-2012, 12:44 PM

away - #9

mayday20$946 |r 7536281

To every post so far...Somebody has to pay for it. A lot easier to throw one guy down than an entire squad.